(The Hill) — A man was taken into custody for setting an American flag on fire in a federal park near the White House on Monday, shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at curbing flag burning incidents.
The U.S. Secret Service informed The Hill that they detained an individual at around 6:15 p.m. on Monday in Lafayette Park “for igniting an object,” subsequently handing the person over to the U.S. Park Police, which holds jurisdiction in the area.
The Park Police stated they arrested someone in the park around 6:30 p.m., for breaching 36 CFR 2.13(a)(1), a regulation that prohibits fire in public parks except in specified zones.
The Park Police declined to identify the person, saying such information isn’t publicly available until charges are formalized through court.
As per a video released by The Bulwark, the man claimed to be a veteran with over two decades of service in the U.S. Army and explained he was “burning this flag as a protest to that illegal fascist president that sits in that house,” pointing to the White House.
“I fought for every single one of your rights to express yourself in however you feel that you may want to express yourself. There’s a First Amendment right to burn the American flag,” the man announced through a bullhorn, adding, “No president can make a law, period.”
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order tasking the attorney general with prosecuting individuals who “desecrate” the flag by identifying state and local laws they might have violated. Trump’s order also instructs administration officials to cancel or revoke visas if foreign nationals are found to have desecrated the flag.
A landmark 1989 Supreme Court ruling established that burning the American flag is protected under the First Amendment.
Trump’s executive order prompted some backlash, including from notable figures on the right, who criticized the move as unconstitutional.
